The legendary Just For Laughs comedy festival has branched out to include an industry conference. Judd Apatow is set to receive an award at the inaugural event; we get wind of this news thanks to the legendary caves of Yahoo:
Judd Apatow, whose fingerprints as writer, producer or director have been on a string of recent hits such as “Knocked Up” and “Superbad,” will be honored as Comedy Person of the Year at Montreal’s Just for Laughs comedy festival (July 10-20), organizers said.
Apatow will receive the award at Just Comedy, JFL’s first-ever industry conference on comedy and entertainment. Just for Laughs in the past has featured industry panels and addresses as part of its comedy festival. The inaugural Just Comedy event will go beyond that, offering networking sessions with decision makers, panel discussions, master classes, and “In Conversation With…” sessions.
I have watched footage from the Just For Laughs festival my entire life. Footage from events past and present are on Canadian television almost daily; the festival has become an institution in Canada and is beloved by all. An award from the festival is akin to being knighted by the gods of hilarity and Apatow should be honored to receive it.
It makes sense for the festival to include an industry conference. So many movers and shakers in the comedy industry are already at the festival – so it makes sense to organize an event that will facilitate networking. It’s also an excellent opportunity for those in the funny business to share their knowledge with up and coming artists that seek to break into the industry – so they can eat.
